Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-04-13

where father End live." returned
Polly, with comprehensive wave OF
her hand, which took in about half of
the northern and eastern horizon.
Exports a real nice place, though it
isn't quito rs big as Boston," she con-
tinued. explanatorily, and Tad caught
himself wondering if it was anywhere
near the Arctic regions of which We
had read, and il so what he should do
for an overcoat-for even then he was
beginning to feel chilly in his thread
bare suit. So the afternoon wore slow
~ away. Captain Flagg smoked and
steered, Polly played with the dog.
George Washington got supper, Eph
Whitfield up another single (Which
he pulled out from under the hatch
covering), and Tad meditated.
"Strike eight bells, Mr.. Small. and
call the watchr' shouted Captain Flagg.
in a stentorian voice, as glance at his
old-fashioncd time-picce showed that It
was four o'clock p. NJ.
The chief mate shut up his jack-knife
reluctantly, rose to his feet, and, dust
ing off his tarry trousers with great de-
liberation, struck eight resounding
strokes on the small bell for'ard. Then.
lounginG aft, he relieved the wheel,
and. seated on the rudder-head, steered
with one hand, while the other absently
fingered his jack-knife in his pocket.
Captain Flagg now t>ok a sect OH tho
edge of the little trunk cabin. yawned,
squinted his eye toward the western
horizon, where the sun was going down
in great sea Of purple and gold. and
patronizingly beckOned to Tad. who,
with some difidence. sat down beside
the ancient mariner.
Like your shipmates in the port
watch pretty well, my lad3" inquired
the Captain. kindly.
With a shy glance at unconscious
Polly, who was tantalizing Bounce by
swinging the biz sun-bonnet by tho
strings, before his nose. Tad said he
liked 'om ever so much.
That's proper" approvingly re-
sponded Captain Flsgg. land mind that
you learn all you can from 'em. Eph
is tremen'us smart sailor" continued
the Captain. lowering his voice as he
regarded the youth in question, "and
what he don't know about ships du-
ties and reggerlations amt worth
KNOWN"
As Tad's eyes involuntarily followed
the direction Of the Captains gaze, no
secretly wondered whether it was &C.
centricity that prompted Mr.. Small to
wear faded calico shirt, battered
SLOUGH hat, tattered vest and dingy
canvas trousers. For Tad's idea Of 9
sailors rig was derived from the one
or two highly-wrought nautical tales
which he had read in his life. He
fancied that in all climates and wealth
ers, Jack Tar wore little glazed blacS
hat with long ribbons. and blue jack
ct Respondent with brass buttons. blue
trousers, silk stockings and low-qua-.
tered shoes.
"But he's the-the greatest chap to
whittle ever see in my life," pursued
Captain Flagg, meditatively-" the very
greatest"
Polly, who overheard the remark,
laughed gayly in the depths of her sun
bonnet.
Hes got half bunch Of loose shin
giles in the bottom Of his bunk, that he
saved from our last deck-load, and
takes out fresh one every time he goes
below-that's where George Washing
ton gets his kindlings for the galley
stove FROM" she remarked. demurcly.
"The most I'm afeared Of" observed
her father, in a confidential whisper,
''is that his usin' of q jack-knife 50
much might get the vessel into some
scch scrape as the Of British East
Indy ship 'Win'sor Castle got into
once whilst was a sailor"
What was that, sir?" eagerly In.
CURED Polly, knowing full well what q
repository for the material out of which
sea-yarns were spun was her fathers
manly chest
"Well, slowly returned the Captain.
"near's / can remember. the story's
this: The ship was on her home-bound
passage from Chiny, an got becalmed
for two or three days somewhere on the
'quator. So. 1t bein' hot, and the sailor
to the wheel bein' absent-minded sort
Of chap, what does he do but out
knife and cut his name-'James w.
Dunn'-along on the hin of the m'hog.
any wheelr' Here Captain Flagg EN-.
phasized the enormity of the offense by
a portentous shake Of the head, and
went on:
$50, when the Gap'n camc on deck,
there was pretty row. He claps jim
In irons, aud d're'tly they got into
port, had him rested, and the only
way poor Jim could get out Of 1t wa
/ by paying for bran'-new wheel"
THAT was too badr' interjected Tad,
who was eagerly listening.
well - yes" nssented Captain
Flagg. who had q curious way of some
times combining the practical and
scriptural when occasion offered, "bui
| II Unaa IN shovU Tbo1doua th.1 A.